Drill.



,0. H. PELTON.

DRILL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1913.

1,072,869. Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

AEI

FICE.

CHARLES H. PELTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, `OHIO,` ASSIGNOR TO THE TIIOIVIAS MANUFAC- TURIN Gr COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OI-IIO.

DRILL.

Loasce.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. PnLroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in Drills, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. v

rIhis invention relates to drills such as are commonly used for placing in the ground seed or fertilizer. Heretofore much difficulty has been experienced inutilizing the same drill for planting seed and distribut- `'ing fertilizer. n

The object of the present invention is to provide a drill which will satisfactorily distribute the ordinary commercial fertilizers andwifll also satisfactorily plant seeds of various kinds, and particularly the vegetable fertilizers, such for example as vetch,`

the seed of which is small and brittle.

To this end it is a further object of the invention to provide the hopper of the drill with an adjustable discharge opening having means mounted on theV exterior of the drill for regulating the size of the opening, this means comprising a gage which indicates to the operator the exact size and shape of the discharge openings in the hopper; to provide each discharge opening with a reduced portion and a cut-od to close all of the discharge opening except the reduced portion thereof, thus providing a discharge opening of the properrsize to handle the particular seed which is Vto be planted; and it is also an object` of theinvention to provide a toothed feeding devicel for' feeding the material tothe discharge opening and having the' edges of those portions of the teeth Whichpass over` the discharge' opening cut away toprovide ample clearance and prevent the crushing or breaking' of the seeds.

-Iir the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a horizontal section of a portion of the hopper cfa dri-ll showing my invention in planf; Fig. 2 is atransversel section of a portion of suchf a drilfl; and Fig is a perspective' view of oneof the feeding devices, showing the, same in aninverted position.

In these drawings I have shown' the invention? as applied to a drill or fertilizer distrihuter, the main features of construction of which are similar to those of the machine shown and described inimy co-pending ap'- plication for patent filed Dec. 27th, 1910, Ser. No. 599,812.

Inasmuch as many features of the drill are of well known type and their operation is understood by those familiar with the art I have illustrated only such parts of the mechanism as are directly related tothe present invention and are necessary to an understanding thereof.

In the form of the device here shown the feeding mechanism is mounted in the bottom of a hopper l comprising the usual sloping front and rear walls and flat bottom, the latter being provided with a series of discharge openings 2 which preferably are oblong 1n shape and as having their ends rounded. Feeding devices comprising rotary toothed members 3 are journaled in the bottom of the hopper with their teeth extending across the respective feed openings 2. These feeding devices are provided with gears 4 by means of which they are positively driven from any suitable source of power, such as the usual connection with the ground wheels A suitable cutoff is provided' by means of which the sizeV of the discharge openings can be regulated from the exterior of the hopper. As here shown this cutoff comprises a plate 5 slidably mounted on one side of the hopper, extending across the discharge opening and having openings 6V corresponding substantially in size and shape to the discharge openings of the hopper and adapted to be' moved into partial or complete registration with the respective discharge openingsor to be moved entirely out of registration therewith to cut olf the flow of material through said discharge openings. l y,

Owing to the varieties of materials fed thro-ugh the discharge openings it is desirable that the' operator should be able to observe the exact size' of the openings and to gage the quant-ity of material fed in this way rather than by the use of a gradiiated scale showing the amount of material fed either in pounds or otherwise. I have, therefore provided onthe outside of the hopper a gage corresponding substantially in shape and size to the d'iscliarge` opening and have provided agmember' ,adapted to move over this" gage toI expose diferentpor'- tions thereof. Fliismovable member isf oe'- eratively connected with the sllidable' plate 5` andAr this connection is such that the exposed portion of the gage corresponds exactly with the size and shape of the uncovered port-ions of the discharge openings in the ho-pper. In that form of the device here shown I have secured a substantially horizontal bracket 7 to the rear wall of the hopper and have formed in the same an opening 8 similar to the discharge openings in the hopper. Pivotally mounted on this bracket is a lever 9, the inner end of which projects through the wall of the hopper and is connected with the sliding plate 5. rlhe rear portion of the lever extends across the gage opening 8 and is provided at its outer end with a handle. Preferably, the bracket has a curved slot l() and a bolt 1l extends through the lever and the slot to enable the lever to be held in adjust ed positions either by tightening the bolt down to form a positive lock or by merely tightening it sufficiently to frictionally hold the lever. lVhile it is not necessary that the gage should comprise an opening through the plate this is preferable inasmuch as it can be very readily observed even while the machine is in motion over the rough ground and further it will not fill with dirt or become obscured by rust or in any other manner. That edge of the lever adjacent to the reduced extension in the gage opening may be so arranged with relation to the gage opening and to the discharge opening in the hopper that it will indicate approximately the extent to which the discharge opening has been opened, or, if desired, the edge of the lever may be cut away so that it will conform substantially in shape to the end of the opening in the slide, thus enabling the exact size of the discharge opening to be indicated on the Ign order that small seeds, such, for example, as vetch seed, may be fed in the desired quantities I have provided each of the discharge openings with a reduced portion or extension 12 at one end thereof and have so arranged the discharge openings and the corresponding openings in the cutoff plate 5 that this plate can be moved into a position to close all of each discharge opening except the reduced portion or t-he reduced portion and a small portion of the main opening immediately adjacent thereto, thus providing a reduced discharge opening of the size necessary to handle the particular seed which is to be planted. In this manner I am able to secure a very wide range of sizes in my discharge opening and am enabled to handle materials of widely diiferent characteristics.

To prevent any tendency on the part of the teeth of the feeding device to pinch the seeds against the end of the opening in the cut-off plate and thus break or otherwise injure them in such a manner as to prevent their proper propagation I prefer to cut away the lower edges of those portions of the teeth which pass over the reduced discharge 'opening'so as to afford ample clearance. At

the same time the teeth arel not altered in a manner which will'materially affect the proper feeding of other materials.

The Voperation of the mechanism will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that I' have provided a drill which will satisfactorily handle materials of widely different characters, such, for example, as the commercial fertilizers, which are often lumpy and if the least bit damp are ditiicult to feed and require a large opening, and also the'small hard seeds, such as vetch above mentioned,A

and that these seeds will be positively fed through the discharge openings without injury thereto. Further, it will be apparent that I have provided a very simple, practical and easily operatedl device for regulating the size of the discharge openings, thus enabling them to be adapted to different materials or to be adjusted to vary the quantity of material fed; and that this adjustment can be readily made While the machine 1s in operation.

l/Vhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it will be understood that this has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that I doV not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modification will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a hopper having a discharge opening, a device to feed the ma- Y terial through said opening, a plate movably mounted in said hopper and arranged to open and close said opening, a gage outside of said hopper corresponding substantially in size and shape to said discharge opening,

a member mounted to move over said gage, and an operative connection between said member and said movable plate, whereby the position of said member with relation to said gage will indicate the position of Said movable plate with relation to said discharge opening. 1

2. The combination, with a hopper having to move over said gage, and an operative y connection ybetween said member and Said slidable plate, whereby the positionof said iso member with relation to said gage will indicate the extent to which the opening in said slidable plate registers with said discharge opening.

3. The combination, with a hopper having a discharge opening, a device to feed material to said opening, a plate slidably mounted in said hopper and having an opening adapted to be moved into partial or complete registration with said discharge opening, a bracket mounted outside of said hopper and having an opening corresponding substantially to said discharge opening, a lever arranged to move over said opening in said bracket and connected with said slidable plate, whereby the position of said lever with relation to the opening in said bracket will indicate the extent to which the opening in said slidable plate registers with said discharge opening.

4. In a machine of the character described, a hopper, a discharge opening in said hopper comprising a main portion and having a reduced extension at one end thereof, a plate slidably mounted labove said opening and having an opening therein of substantially the size of the main portion of said discharge opening and adapted to be moved into and out of registration with said main portion of said dischargeopening, the openings in said plate and said discharge opening being so arranged that said plate may be moved into position to close all of said discharge opening except said extension thereto.

5. In a machine of the character described, a hopper, a discharge opening in said hopper having a reduced extension at one end thereof, a plate slidably mounted above said opening and having an opening therein adapted to be moved into and out of registration with said discharge opening, thev opening in said plate and said discharge opening being so arranged that said plate may be moved into position to close all of said discharge opening except said extension thereto, a bracket mounted outside of said hopper and having an opening therein corresponding substantially in size and shape to said discharge opening and the extension therein, a member adapted to move over the opening in said bracket, and an operative connection between said member and the plate in said hopper.

6. In a machine of the character described, a hopper, a discharge opening in said hop per having a reduced portion and a cut-off arranged to close the main portion of said opening without closing said reduced portion thereof, and a toothed member to feed the material to the open portion of said discharge opening, the teeth of said member having the edges of those portions thereof which pass over said open portion of said discharge opening cut away.

7. In a machine of the character described, a hopper, a discharge opening in said hopper having a reduced portion and a cut-oftl arranged to close the main portion of said opening without closing said reduced portion thereof, a toothed member to feed the material to the open portion of said discharge opening, the teeth of said member having the edges of those portions thereof which pass over said open portion of said discharge opening cut away, a gage mounted outside of said hopper and corresponding in size and shape to said discharge opening, a member mounted to move over said gage, and an operative connection between said member and said cut-off whereby the position of said member with relation to said gage will indicate the position of said cut-off with relation to said discharge opening.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. PELTON.

Witnesses:

C. A. SCHAEDER, C. E. THoMAs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 11.0. 

